A Couple of Tigers
by SureFineWhatever
Summary: Based on my Tumblr post: That time Serena and Bernie met at a medical conference many years ago… (ingridbergmankiss) I wrote this in a bit of a rush and so do excuse the poor quality... Rated M for language mainly, but let's see where it goes!
1. Chapter 1

**A Couple of Tigers**

"Ms Campbell, may introduce you to Major Wolfe?"

Serena spun around, the call of her name piercing through the hubbub of small conversation and tired introductions. Turning on her heel, a glass of mediocre red wine in hand and a shawl draped over her arm, her practiced smile resumed its dutiful task. Her poised expression was shaken as she came face to face with her own dense presumption.

"Major BERENICE Wolfe, meet Ms Serena Campbell, one of my former MBA students from Harvard and a brilliant surgeon." Professor Howard Flemyng entreated Serena to move closer to the bar, a light hand on her elbow as he moved her towards the woman perched on a barstool. Turning her head gracefully to the approaching acquaintances, the Major's smirking smile seemingly revealed a thousand instances of being mistaken for an old male army major with a handlebar moustache.

"Bernie," the blonde insisted, offering a hand while leaning casually against the bar and blatantly enjoying Serena's surprise.

"Nice to meet you...Bernie." Serena accepted the handshake, trying to suppress the redness she could feel creeping onto her cheeks. Bernie let go first, moving a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. She then looked away, sipping her whiskey as she did so, apparently more interested in the rest of the gathering.

"Major Wolfe is here under a similar capacity as you, to see if we can stamp out the same inefficiencies riddling the NHS that also affect Her Majesty's army," clarified Professor Flemyng.

"It helps that I'm a trauma surgeon too. Don't worry, I won't be suggesting 6am drills on your wards!" Bernie joked tiredly, pre-empting the bewildered questions she had be receiving from consultants all evening.

"Thank heavens for that," scoffed Serena, "I'm all for cutting the wheat from the chaff, but you certainly won't catch me doing press-ups before my rounds." She brought her glass to her lips, eyeing Bernie to gauge her reaction. She delighted at Bernie's throaty laugh.

"Excuse me, ladies." The professor excused himself, spotting another introduction to be made across the room. Both women nodded vaguely in his direction as he disappeared into the bustling black tie crowd, their gaze remaining firmly on one another.

"You have nothing to fear Ms Campbell. If anything, I shall be seeking advice from you. I'm hoping to attend your lecture tomorrow on business leadership in the public sector. I'm looking forward to you solving all our problems." Bernie rose from her seat at the bar, moving closer to her new companion. The soldier stood, straight-backed and graceful. Only slightly taller than Serena, she still domineered Serena's vision, the sight of her suddenly closer was unnervingly heady. The near stranger wore a black beaded v-neck dress that cut luxuriously down a slightly tanned chest.

"That's a shame; I've always thought I looked rather stylish in khaki. And it's Serena, I insist." She eventually replied, hoping her new friend hadn't caught her staring.

"I'm sure you would. Another?" Bernie proffered, as a waiter passed by with a tray of glasses, filled with red or white wine.

"Of course. Thank you. It's certainly not Shiraz, but one can't be too fussy at these things." She took the glass from Bernie's hand, their fingers slow to retreat. Bernie downed the remaining drops of her drinks, and disappeared briefly to claim another. Serena stood, suddenly bereft, and utterly frustrated with herself for feeling so. Moments later, the soldier's voice was at her ear, as her new acquaintance appeared from behind her, glass replenished with honeyed liquid: "So tell me, Serena, how do you suggest I go about making my trauma unit more efficient in a war zone?"

"Well, a field hospital or a badly organised primary care trust, every hierarchy has its tyrants and warmongers that need to brought down a peg or too." Serena quipped, cringing at her own crude analogy. She slid a hand through her shoulder-length hair, feeling suddenly warm.

"My, my, remind to never go into battle against you." Bernie teased, moving them to a quieter corner. She was certainly a master at ensuring your complete and utter attention.

"Oh, no. Something tells me we're equals. I think you'd give as good as you got." Serena reassured, watching as the soldier's lips pouted in amusement and intrigue of equal measure.

"I'll hold you to that."

Their faces were close now. It never occurred to the two women to ask if either of them were attached.


	2. Chapter 2

The early evening turned into night and the two doctors continued to focus their attention on one another. Now sat on a row of function chairs at the side of the conferencing hall, they had been relatively undisturbed, apart from the occasional waiter with trays of amuse-bouches.

"My eldest is fifteen. It breaks my heart to leave them, but I feel I have a duty to fulfil." Bernie explained, wondering if she was every going to stop feeling guilty about her life decisions.

"I'm sure you're a great mother, and from what I can gather, your husband knew what he was getting into when he married you." Serena took hold of the army medic's hand, her thumb stroking her knuckles gently. If this was her seduction technique, thought Bernie, it was working.

Her reverie was broken by an unfamiliar voice.

"Ah Serena, I see you've been rescued by our very own Private Benjamin!"

Serena physically recoiled, suddenly on edge. "That's Major Wolfe to you, dear. Bernie, this is Edward, my husband."

"Long-suffering!" Edward limply joked. "I'd salute you Major, but my hands are full as you can see," He gestured with his head to the two large glasses of wine he was holding, "I've learnt to keep my dear wife topped up over the years. Makes me attractive at the end of the night."

"YES, thank you, Edward." Serena sternly interrupted. She stood up and swiftly grabbed both glasses out of his hands and handed one to Bernie, smiling wickedly as she did so. "Anything I else I can do for you, Edward?"

Taking the hint, Edward backed away, hands up in the air in a 'don't shoot' pose. He disappeared into the crowd, ego still impeccably intact.

"So...that's the spouse." Bernie enquired, sipping her replenished drink.

Serena was looking intently into the distance, the encounter apparently taking the wind out of her. "Not for much longer." She finally replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Bernie wasn't sorry at all.

"Don't be, I'm relieved. He's just here to network. We met at Harvard, so naturally we have the similar friends, contemporaries, and all the rest of it. No doubt he's spinning wild tales and has them eating out of his hand."

Bernie decided not to pry about the details, it was clearly still too painful.

Serena turned to her companion, "Fancy some fresh air? I'm suddenly feeling very stifled."

"Yes, bad cologne and estranged husbands can do that."

Serena cackled and took hold of Bernie's arm, dragging her through the French doors into the courtyard garden. The night air was cool and Serena pulled away from her new companion to wrap her pashmina shawl around her exposed shoulders. She turned and was shocked to see Bernie precariously balancing a cigarette on between her lips and apparently searching frantically for something to light it in her clutch bag.

"Where's your kit bag when you need it?" Bernie mumbled, cigarette bouncing wildly on her lip, her head almost completely in her bag now.

"Allow me." Serena clumsily placed her wine glass down and swiped the bag from Bernie's hands. She could feel Bernie's gaze as she searched, her cheeks warming despite their recent relocation outside. Was she just tipsy, or was this all a prelude to a kiss? She didn't dare question it.

Finding the silver lighter, she deftly flipped it open, igniting a flame, and brought it to the blonde's cigarette. Bernie held her hand as she did so, shielding it from a non-existent wind, her focus dangerously not on the tip of her cigarette, but on the woman now intoxicatingly close to her. She watched as Serena's mouth opened ever so slightly in concentration and then was embarrassed to see Serena catch her staring at her as she moved away.

Serena smirked. Finally, the upper-hand. They were both having far too much fun for this to be 'just friendly'.

"So can I count on your attendance to my convention panel after your enlightening lecture tomorrow? I'll be suited and booted." Bernie asked, her deep voice almost at a whisper. It send a shiver down Serena's spine and took hold of her slowly, as if an invisible lasso was drawing them together, tighter and tighter. Neither had any intention of trying to wriggle free from this fortunate predicament.

"Of course. I could never resist a uniform..." Serena's guttural reply was twinned with a cautious hand, now gliding up the army medic's taut arm. Bernie watched as the surgeon's hand explored, fingers splayed as they climbed up her upper arm. Bernie took another drag of her cigarette, hopelessly trying to steady her nerves. When they had been introduced, she never planned on being the one on the back foot, her objective to get Serena alone had been in place from the moment their hands had first touched in greeting.

In a desperate attempt to gain control of the situation, Bernie flicked her cigarette away and took hold of Serena's neck, curving her fingers across the smooth skin and gently manipulating her head upwards. Serena's eyes fell closed as she felt Bernie's mouth descend on her neck, gently kissing and running her tongue along to just below her left earlobe.

"Thank you, Professor Flemyng." Bernie uttered softly in her ear. Serena hummed in agreement, words superfluous.

"Tell me we should stop..." Bernie breathed, moving her attention to Serena's forehead, placing kisses along her hairline, down her right cheek and finally hovering perilously close to her mouth.

"I'm not stopping you-" and with that reply, they kissed, lips colliding in a hail of passion. Serena threaded her fingers through Bernie's hair and bit her bottom lip, the sharp prick of her teeth eliciting a low groan that made Serena shudder with ecstasy. Bernie withdrew, regretting it instantly, and moved Serena slowly to the wall next to the open French windows. They could see the festivities continuing inside, entirely unaware of their covert rendezvous. Bernie caught a brief glimpse of Edward, his hand clasping on the rear-end of an unsuspecting waitress trying to squeeze through the throng of tuxedos.

"What if we get caught?" Serena whispered, her hands travelling around her companion's waist. Bernie pushed her against wall in reply, shrouding them both in darkness.

"And you're just thinking of that now?" Bernie teased, closing the gap between the two doctors, chests heaving.

"Well, excuse me for being driven to distraction..." Serena implored sardonically, trying desperately to keep a straight face. Bernie smiled devilishly and kissed her once again, enjoying how Serena eventual grin could be felt as she allowed their tongues to touch once again. Breathless, Serena kissed down Bernie's bared chest and then moved back up to trail her tongue along her clavicle. She wasn't sure who was enjoying this more, but it damn well felt good.


	3. Chapter 3

The two near strangers remained achingly close against the wall for long, languid moments of joyous intimacy. Bernie's hands were clasped firmly on Serena's rear, pleased to discover that her daring nature was being welcomed by the woman she barely knew. She tried not to dwell on the real reasons for why Serena might have chosen her as an evening companion, but as brunette drew her tongue and mouth slowly along Bernie's jawline, her eyes caught a glimpse of Edward heading towards the open patio doors into the courtyard. Bernie froze and removed her hands from Serena before pushing her roughly and flush against the wall so that they were hidden by the overgrown ivy that trailed the wall and the entrance to the building.

"Oh Major, we are keen, aren't we?" Serena purred. She hoped her quip would not betray just how much she was trembling in the soldier's arms, quivering with desire and intoxicated by the scent of the unknown. But now Bernie was turned away, her apparently senses pricked.

Bernie placed a finger on Serena's lips, and moved in to whisper softly in her ear: "Your husband has just stepped out onto the terrace." Unable to reply, Serena's eyes widened with alarm and she tensed involuntarily, her grip on Bernie's smooth upper arms squeezing in panic.

Maybe it was the drink, the imprint of Bernie's kisses burning her skin, or maybe it was a sudden allergy to Edward's bullshit once and for all, but all of a sudden, Serena felt delightfully reckless.

Eyes still on Bernie, even in the darkness, she inched her head away slowly and wrapped her lips around Bernie's silencing finger, enjoying the disbelief that slowly turned to arousal on Bernie's face. Serena kissed and licked the tip of her finger, before ceasing to state her case: "Let him see. I don't care anymore. He can have a taste of his own medicine," she growled back into Bernie's ear.

"But you might in the morning. As much as I would l like to wipe the smirk off his–"

"SEREEEEEENAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Bernie was interrupted by the drunken howls of Edward and the sound of shuffling feet on the top step of the patio.

"RENA, WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUU?"

"Stay here." The Major commanded. And something in the reassuring yet authoritative tone of her voice made Serena obey. Bernie disappeared around the tall shrubbery and Serena rested her head against the wall as she listened to the unfolding encounter:

"Evening Dr Campbell,"

"Captain Wolfe, have you seen my...wife lately?"

"It's Major, and no, I haven't. I've been out here for while."

"Right well, Flemyng tells me he saw you two come out here together."

Serena could hear Bernie's tentative movements up the patio steps.

"We did. She seemed upset so we came for some fresh air."

"Oh she did, did she?"

Serena's eyes snapped shut. Hating how the man she once loved could still control her emotions like a tight fist on a stress ball.

"Yes. But like I said, I haven't a clue of her whereabouts now. Perhaps ask the waitress you had your eye on earlier?"

"I just might. Rather nice filly actually."

"I hope your wife doesn't hear you say that, Dr. Campbell."

"That's no concern of yours!"

The sound of splashing liquid on stone made Serena jump. She inched closer, tears now stinging her eyes.

"Don't suppose you have a light, MAJOR?"

"I do, actually. Somewhere."

She turned to see Serena appear around the corner, Bernie's bag in hand and a look of pure defiance that had now hardened her features. The three players stood stock still, eyes darted from one another, crudely aware of the denouement of their current predicament. Cigar in mouth and tuxedo tie undone around his collar, laughed heartily as he stared down at the two women from the top step.

Bernie, determined to keep this mess (that she created, she feared) civil, took the bag from Serena, fished out her lighter and climbed the steps towards Edward. As she moved in to light his cigar, the smell of his booze-laden breath made her inwardly recoil. She lingered to allow the tip of the cigar to flicker in the flame of her lighter, but caught his eye as she did so:

"Dyke."

Edward smirked as cigar smoke billowed in Bernie's face.


End file.
